CLUB IN SMOKE
A suspected deliberate fire destroyed a former social club in Wavertree.
Firefighters were called out to the former Manweb sports and social club on Thingwall Road at 8.45pm on Thursday, March 28.
The building was severely damaged by fire, heat and smoke.
At the height of the incident six fire appliances were in attendance.
Firefighters were still on scene the next day damping down.
A joint investigation by the MF&RS Incident Investigation Team and Merseyside Police found it was suspected that the fire was started deliberately.
There were no reports that anyone was injured in the incident.
Arsonist Convicted
A woman was convicted of arson and hoax calls following work by our staff.
Arson Reduction Officer Mike Buratti worked with police, firefighters and our Incident Investigation Team (IIT) to help bring the case to court.
The woman started a fire involving paper near to property in Wirral and made hoax calls to our control room and Merseyside Police. She appeared at Wirral Magistrates' Court in March and was given a 12-month community order alongside a supervision requirement.
The woman was also put on a 10-week electronically monitored curfew from 7pm to 7am and ordered to pay £200 compensation for the fire damage, a £60 victim surcharge and £85 costs.
Mike Buratti said: "This was a great example of partnership working between The Arson Reduction Team, Fire Crews, IIT and the Police and months of hard work paid off."
The hoax calls were made to our Service on December 28 and October 27 last year. The woman also started the fire on October 27.
Knuckle Down
Red Watch firefighters used bolt cutters to remove a screw after a teenager got his hand stuck in a wooden pallet.
Our Service was called on a Monday afternoon to a building near the Promenade in Southport.
It is thought the teenager was dismantling the pallets to help another person when the hand became trapped.
Paramedics also attended. The teenager’s finger was freed from between the screw and the pallet and the teenager was taken to
Ormskirk Hospital by
ambulance.
Two fire appliances from Southport Community Fire Station attended the call-out. The call-out was on April 7.
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Firefighters tackling the fire at the former Manweb sports and social club. Photos by Chris Phillips